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Copywriting Makeover: Making An Emotional Connection - Part 2 of 2
by Karon Thackston 2004 http://www.copywritingcourse.com In part one of this article series we began looking at the Cruise Vacation Center site: a travel site whose copy was sorely lacking in emotional appeal and visual imagry. (You can see the...
"How To Find A Copywriting School"
Have you heard the good things about the field of copywriting? If you have, then you know that a qualified copywriter is an invaluable asset to those looking for them. Becoming this asset means going to a copywriting school. Turn this to your...
How to Improve Your Writing Without Writing a Word
Many an ad, business letter and TV commercial comes into being slowly, even painfully. Maybe because some of us write as if we were still using an IBM Selectric, wite-out and a badly worn Webster's. For that matter, maybe some still are. And that's...
Segmenting Your Target Audience Through Your Copywriting
by Karon Thackston 2004 http://www.copywritingcourse.com Ask any copywriter what the first commandment of copywriting is and theyll quickly tell you Know Thy Target Audience. In order to write effectively you have to know this one group of...
Writing for the Web
Today's readers and Web browsers demand frankness and verisimilitude, so your written communications require exacting professional integrity with accurate and adequate research. "For concrete, colorful and dynamic written material that willfully ...
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How to Come up With Fresh Writing Ideas
How to Come Up with Fresh Story Ideas When Your Idea Well has Run Dry
When I face the desolate impossibility of writing 500 pages, a sick sense of failure falls on me, and I know I can never do it. Then gradually, I
write one page and then another. One days works is all I can permit myself to contemplate.
John Steinbeck
I know that it seems easier to make that extra pot of coffee, read that good book, that you have
had in storage for the last ten years, and
suddenly decide to make the kids that Halloween
costume by hand, than it can be to make yourself
sit down and write. Believe me, I have been
there.
Here are some brainstorming techniques to get
your brain pumping again and churning out ideas.
1) If you are having trouble coming up with
characters or even a story line, try developing
an action scene. One good scene to kick off
your book can get the rest flowing. Develop the
characters and story line around that scene.
2) Come up with a problem to solve. Is your main
character the class clown or the brainiest kid in
school. What type of problem would your character
face in his or her normal life? Write your story
around the problem and a unique way of solving
it.
3)For character development use common sense. Use
what is in front of you.
Look at your family and friends and see if they
remind you of anything. My first Shakespearean
teacher reminded me of a caveman or a husky
walrus because of his whiskers. Does your Uncle
Arthur have whiskers, wear glasses, and walk with
a little bit of a waddle? Turn him into a
know it
all beaver or a store clerk, at a bookstore that
sells books that you can actually climb into and
live out an adventure.
Does your sister have a talent for jumping rope
and blowing bubbles, with purple bubble gum?
Maybe the heroine for your next book could do the
same.Is their a kid in your neighborhood that is
always getting into trouble? Hmm, do you think
that the creator of Dennis the Mennis might have
known one?
You can use your family and friends talents and
their physical characteristics to come up with
tons of characters. One hint though- if you
choose to make Uncle Charlie a slug or Aunt Emma
a rhinoceros, keep it to yourself. They may not
be thrilled with their induction into literary
history.
Inspiration is all around you, waiting for you to
reach out and grab for your next storyline or
character. Use stories from the news, jokes that
your neighbors tell you, the quirky things that
your dog Buster does in the morning.
One final word - stop criticizing what you have
written down. In these first stages, no one cares
if you have misspelled words or if your grammar
isnt perfect. Just write. The rest will follow,
after your story is done.
Caterina Christakos is the author of How to Write
a Childrens Book in 30 Days or Less. For more writing tips please go to
http://www.howtowriteachildrensbook.com
About the Author
Caterina is the author of How to Write a Children's Book in 30 Days or Less, as well as several children's books. To view some of her work please go to http://www.howtowriteachildrensbook.com
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| grammar.ccc.commnet.edu |
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| Writing lab and resources. Email newsletter available. |
| owl.english.purdue.edu |
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| OWL at Purdue University: General Writing Concerns Handouts |
| This page contains important links to the writing: planning/writing/revising aspects of the OWL website. |
| owl.english.purdue.edu |
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| en.wikipedia.org |
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| National Novel Writing Month - National Novel Writing Month |
| NaNoWriMo is an annual (November) novel writing project that brings together professional and amateur writers from all over the world. |
| www.nanowrimo.org |
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| Apply by Dec. 11 Reporting and Writing the Untold Stories Apply by Dec. 11 ... Reporting & Writing for Multi-Platform Newsrooms. Apply by Jan. 10 ... |
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| The BBC's online resource for writing drama and comedy for television, radio and film. |
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| Menu of articles on writing written by professional SF/F writers. |
| www.sfwa.org |
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| 11 Rules of Writing -- a concise guide to important grammar ... |
| A concise guide to some of the most frequently violated rules of writing, punctuation, and grammar. |
| www.junketstudies.com |
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| NAEP Writing Subject Area |
| NAEP assesses student performance in writing periodically in grades 4, 8, and 12 for the nation, and in grades 4 and 8 for the states. |
| nces.ed.gov |
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| See all blog posts tagged with writing on Technorati. |
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| IPL Teenspace: A+ Research & Writing |
| Includes step-by-step instructions on researching and writing, how to find information online and offline, as well as links to useful resources. |
| www.ipl.org |
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| Dictionary.com: Writing Resources |
| Free online English dictionary and reference guide. List of sites writers can use. |
| dictionary.reference.com |
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| WritingFix: Home of Interactive Writing Prompts and 6 Trait ... |
| Daily and interactive writing prompts. |
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